“…..The center said its investigation was on a four months old infant in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, who was diagnosed with infant botulism after showing symptoms of poor feeding and drooping eyelids in early June. The baby was hospitalized on June 4 and physicians requested a test by KCDC to confirm the diagnosis. The test results found Clostridium botulinum bacteria in the patient’s excrement on Monday.

The child is receiving stable treatment in a general ward and the KCDC provided botulinum antitoxin to the hospital to treat the patient.

KCDC said the center and North Jeolla Province dispatched epidemiologists to identify the infection routes and plan to secure additional samples from foods and residential environments for a precise analysis……”

“…….During September 2017–April 2018, nine cases of wound botulism were reported in San Diego County, California; all patients reported injecting heroin, and seven used black tar heroin, including subcutaneous injection in six patients. Symptoms were first attributed to drug intoxication for four patients; two received the opioid overdose reversal medication naloxone without improvement in symptoms. One patient died.

Increasing use of black tar heroin during the opioid crisis might lead to additional cases of wound botulism. Heightened awareness of the disease might improve timely diagnosis and treatment. Prompt diagnosis and administration of botulism antitoxin can be lifesaving….”

The Texas Department of State Health Services is warning parents and other adults not to give babies pacifiers containing honey after four babies were treated for botulism in Texas. Each infant had been given a honey-containing pacifier purchased in Mexico.

The four illnesses occurred from mid-August to the end of October and caused all four babies to be hospitalized for life-saving treatment. The unrelated infants are residents of West Texas, North Texas and South Texas.

Botulism is a serious illness caused by a toxin that attacks the body’s nerves and can cause difficulty breathing, paralysis and even death. Honey may contain bacteria that produce the toxin in the intestine of babies that eat it. By the time children get to be 12 months old, they’ve developed enough other types of bacteria in their digestive tract to prevent the botulism bacteria from growing and producing toxin.

DSHS today also issued a health alert asking health care providers to look out for cases of infant botulism and to remind parents not to let babies eat honey. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics have long advised that children under 12 months old should not consume honey.Honey-filled pacifiers are not common in the United States but may be available in some specialty stores and through online retailers. Most aren’t designed for the honey to be consumed, but some have a small hole so a child could eat the honey, or the pacifier could accidentally rupture or leak. Parents should also avoid pacifiers containing any other food substance, because they could also pose a risk of botulism.

Texas has had seven to eight cases of infant botulism per year in recent years. Ten confirmed or suspected cases have been reported in 2018. Additional information on botulism is available on the DSHS website.